Type Regional rail Termini Seoul Station | System Korail Owner Korail | |
 | ||
Services Gyeongbu Line
Gyeongwon Line
Jungang Line
Taebaek Line
Yeongdong Line Opened (Prior) December 13, 1998 Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway Snow Flower Train,
(Current) April 12, 2013 - present | ||
O-Train (aka Jungbu Naeryuk Circular Train Hangul: 중부내륙순환열차) is a South Korean sightseeing train operated by Korail. The train began operations in 2013 and transports tourists from Seoul, in a circular route, through South Korea's central inland region and back to Seoul.
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Overview
The train began operations on April 12, 2013, and is a shuttle train which loops around attractions in the central inland region of Korea, with stops, including Taebaeksan Mountain in Gangwon-do, Yeongju in Gyeongsangbuk-do, and Jecheon in Chungcheongbuk-do It follows the same route as the older Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway central circular Snow Flower Train (Hangul:환상선 눈꽃순환열차).
The "O" name refers to the train’s circular route, and "One", as the three provinces it travels through. The train has four cars, observatory rooms, and sightseeing monitors, and departs from Seoul Station, Cheonan Station, and Osong Station daily. One of the stops is at Chujeon Station in Gangwon-do, located at an altitude of 855 meters, the highest altitude for any train stop in Korea, for sightseeing and photos.
A sister Korail train, the V-Train, opened on the same day, and travels through the mountainous areas of the provinces of Gangwon-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do. O-Train passengers can transfer to the V-train at Cheoram, Seungbu and Buncheon Stations.
The train's opening increased tourist interest in Gangwon's coal mining history. Buncheon Station in Gyeongsangbuk-do, where a coal line once ran, showed increased visits in 2013, from both the O-Train and V-Trains, from approximately 10 passengers a day to 1000.